The secrets to success at home

Working from home? Get out of those pajamas and be successful right from the comfort of your own home. Here are some tips on how to do just that:

1. GET DRESSED. No I don’t mean a suit, but get up, brush your teeth, prepare for your day – put on some pants, shirt. This will give you that extra umph to get your day going. You can’t get back into bed dressed in your work shirt right?

2. SET YOUR ALARM. Get up at the same time everday as if you are going into an office and have to clock in. The luxuries of working from home is that you can choose your hours. So set that clock for 6am or 9am – or 10 pm. Whatever works for you, as long as you have a schedule/routine.

3. CLOSE THE EMAILS. Do not check your emails for the first hour of your day. Once you are in your office. Check your social media sites, update yourself with the latest industry information. Make a coffee.. then sit down and go through your emails. This will help you know answers to emails, have a clear head and less distraction throughout your day. 

We hope these tips work for you as well as they work for us. The secret really is to stay on schedule, stay focused and stay up to date on all your industry latest information/trends. Be proactive and even though you are at home.. maintain a business attire to keep yourself motivated.

Photos courtesy of http://www.pinterest.com/nicolewisehart/home-office/

 

Gardening, in January? Absolutely

There are still lots of things you can plant, and you can start the new year on the right foot by doing timeless chores that will add to your garden’s health as spring approaches. 

Everything you accomplish now will make spring that much sweeter.

Trees and shrubs
This month’s tree and shrub tasks are all about planting, pruning and protecting.

• If you live in a place that has mild winters, you can still plant trees of all kinds: fruit trees, shade trees and flowering trees; and choosing them is fun now, since nurseries tend to add their new selections in January.
• On a day when temperatures are below freezing, plant new evergreens, rose bushes and deciduous shrubs.
• While you shouldn’t prune flowering trees until after they’ve bloomed, you can now prune most shrubs and deciduous shade trees.
• When you notice new buds on deciduous trees, possibly late this month or in early February, give them their third and last shot of dormant spray — follow the label’s instructions and avoid spraying on days that are windy, rainy or below freezing.
• Keep up with raking; fallen leaves can do heavy damage if left to smother grass.
• If you have snowfall, knock snow off the branches of evergreens and fine-branched deciduous trees using an upward motion to keep limbs from breaking — don’t risk the benign fluffy stuff turning into ice overnight. If breakage does occur, prune broken branches.

Winterizing
With winter in full force, there are several things you can do to protect challenged plants, trees, shrubs and even birds.

Don’t haul that Christmas tree out to the curb just yet: Its branches can be used to protect tender plants and even root vegetables and perennials or to form a wind or sun shield for shrubs such as azaleas, rhododendrons, holly and boxwood. Or the full tree can be staked near a feeder to shield birds from cold. (Place far enough away to avoid accidents with cats.)

Keep protecting tender plants against freezes by covering them with burlap or other cloth supported by a perimeter of stakes; just don’t let the cloth touch the leafy parts.

Article courtesy of msnrealestate.com

Photo courtesy of http://gardeningwithconfidence.com/